Policy Notes

Les équipes de réformes des pays émergeants les plus performants (Février 2008)

Qu’est-ce que le Botswana, le Cap-Vert, la Malaisie, Maurice et Taïwan (Chine) ont-ils en commun ? Ces pays appartiennent au groupe exclusif d’économies ayant réussi à sortir de la pauvreté en moins de 30 ans. Ils ont aussi en commun d’avoir commencé par prendre appui sur une petite équipe dédiée au pilotage des réformes à accomplir. Ces équipes ont bénéficié de compétences techniques du plus haut niveau, de l’accès direct au sommet de l’État et d’un important budget de développement. C’est cette combinaison de compétences, d’accès et de ressources qui leur a donné les moyens de mener à bien d’ambitieux programmes de réforme malgré les intérêts partisans et les résistances administratives.

Reform Teams: How the Most Successful Reformers Organized Themselves (February 2008)

What do Botswana, Cape Verde, Malaysia, Mauritius, and Taiwan (China) have in common? They belong to an exclusive group of economies that grew out of poverty in less than 30 years. They also initially relied on a small, dedicated team of experts to get the job done. These teams brought to bear world-class skills along with direct access to the top level of government and a large development budget. That combination of skills, access, and resources gave them the clout to steer an ambitious reform agenda through vested interests and layers of government.

How to Encourage Enterprise Formalization in Africa: Some Practical Hints for Policymakers in Africa (June 2007)

What, if anything, can or should policymakers do to encourage enterprise formalization? These are important questions. Some estimates suggest that over 30 percent of output and 70 percent of workers in developing countries are to some degree outside the scope of government regulation. In Africa the figures are even higher.

Reforming Inspections: Countering Corruption and Waste (June 2006)

Government inspections of firms are important for enforcing regulations to protect public health, safety, and the environment and to carry out economic functions such as tax collection and banking regulation. But most inspection regimes in developing countries impose excessive costs on firms while failing dismally to prevent accidents or mitigate losses from disasters. There is a strong interest in models of reform that will reduce the burden of government inspections while improving standards. This Note offers solutions that do both.

Land Markets: Promoting the Private Sector by Improving Access to Land (October 2005)

Land markets that allow access to land—and to buildings—through secure property rights, at transparent prices, and with efficient permitting processes and land tax systems are essential to a good business environment. Creating such markets, however, can be a long, complex, politically charged process, especially where most land is untitled and where there are conflicting claims. But experience points to practical interim or step solutions that can have a positive impact and generate the political capital to reform the overall land market system.

Southern Multinationals: A Growing Phenomenon (October 2005)

South-South FDI now accounts for one third of all FDI going to developing countries, and is growing. This is good news because this FDI typically reaches very poor and remote developing countries.